An Innovative Blend of Technology and Safety: Exploring Santoku Corporation and the Vision of Executive Director Susumu Matsuda

The Silicon Review

In the realm of technological innovation, where the boundaries between reality and imagination are increasingly blurred, few figures stand out as prominently as Susumu Matsuda, the Executive Director of Santoku Corporation. Matsuda’s career is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary fusion, where the convergence of diverse technologies creates new avenues for business and societal advancement. Matsuda Susumu has always been captivated by the idea of creating new value through the integration of multiple technologies. From the very beginning of his career, Matsuda sought to identify themes that could increase value by merging disparate technological fields. His expertise in machine vision processing technology, acquired in his previous job, laid the foundation for his journey. Machine vision is a technology that parallels human visual recognition, while virtual reality (VR) serves as a medium for human communication through visual representation. These two technologies, each corresponding to human vision, are, as Matsuda sees it, two sides of the same coin.

Matsuda’s curiosity has always been piqued by the human senses, particularly vision. However, his interest has gradually expanded to include touch—a field where he can apply his skills in microcomputers and robotics. The fusion of multiple senses, he believes, is akin to simulating and reproducing the human experience.

The Path to Human Safety

Since the beginning, Matsuda’s endeavors have been aimed at enhancing safety and peace of mind. His collaborative work with various national projects and research institutes underscores his commitment to safety. Initially, these activities were driven by the objective of increasing business value, but they gradually evolved into a mission to promote safety.

Matsuda’s development of a VR training simulator, designed to improve skills and prevent workplace errors, marked a turning point. He began to recognize this technology as a method of ingraining skills through physical practice, ensuring that mistakes are minimized. The challenge of immersing individuals in a VR environment and fostering concentration during training became a focal point. Matsuda realized that natural and intuitive operation within a virtual space enhances immersion and engagement. He understood that altering human consciousness is crucial to ensuring that people seriously engage in safety measures.

Redefining Virtual Reality

The introduction of VR disaster simulation revealed a significant insight: the ultimate goal of enhancing human awareness of danger. Matsuda realized that standardized packaging was essential to making these methods universally accessible as common social practices. This insight led him to shift away from traditional custom solutions, recognizing the importance of standardization in establishing effective methods.

Santoku Corporation’s focus on human safety and peace of mind reflects Matsuda’s vision. He sees the fusion of technologies as a means to refine and implement a basic policy aimed at achieving safety. The company’s research over the first decade centered on VR technology that replicates sight and sound. While this technology allows for the recognition of environmental conditions and potential events, Matsuda acknowledges that it falls short of conveying the essential fear associated with disasters.

Bridging the Gap Between Virtual and Reality

Matsuda’s realization that virtual experiences cannot fully replicate reality has been pivotal. Current computer-based VR training simulators are unable to reproduce all parameters of the laws of nature accurately. Consequently, Santoku Corporation has shifted its approach from neutrally replicating natural laws to subjectively evaluating how humans perceive their environment. Through trial and error, the company is focused on reproducing the five senses, which evoke emotions.

Santoku Corporation’s collaboration with customers to address priority disaster prevention issues highlights its commitment to societal needs. This approach aligns with Matsuda’s belief in advancing the standardization of safety tools, ensuring that they meet both the company’s objectives and societal demands. Many customers have adopted Santoku’s RiMM products, implementing comprehensive safety training using a recommended three-step procedure. Over three years, these efforts have resulted in a confirmed reduction in accidents. Although progress takes time, Matsuda remains confident that gradually increasing human awareness will lead to a decrease in accidents.

RiMM: A Catalyst for Safety Awareness

The RiMM concept embodies Matsuda’s vision for risk management, ensuring safety and peace of mind for both individuals and the planet. RiMM is designed to elevate human awareness of dangers, steering society toward a safer trajectory from an emotional perspective. The product aims to enhance safety consciousness, promote awareness, and motivate individuals to prioritize safety.

Since the inception of the business, Santoku Corporation has recognized the limitations of virtual experiences compared to reality. Current VR training simulators, constrained by the laws of nature, cannot fully replicate reality. This realization led Matsuda to explore why artistic techniques, which evoke emotions, can capture and move human hearts. Inspired by these techniques, Santoku Corporation is developing methods of expression that prioritize emotional impact over strict adherence to natural laws. By focusing on human artistic sensibilities, the company aims to develop expressions that resonate with individuals.

A Journey into Human Psychology

Matsuda’s exploration of human psychology and sensory processes has been instrumental in shaping Santoku Corporation’s approach. He delved into the mechanisms of human sensory organs and the neurology of signal transmission, studying the emotions generated by sensory experiences. His research into the generation of emotions, particularly fear, revealed that fear is not only transmitted through neural pathways but also through hormone production and circulation. This understanding deepened Matsuda’s interest in the brain and its role in emotional processing.

Matsuda’s research underscored the importance of reinforcement education to enhance abilities systematically. He devised a policy to strengthen skills in alignment with the bodily experience process, emphasizing the importance of physical practice, even in a VR space. Matsuda believes that this approach is synonymous with ingraining skills through nerve memory, akin to the brain’s memory.

A Vision for the Future

Santoku Corporation’s commitment to safety and peace of mind is underscored by Matsuda’s belief in the importance of theoretically proving the mechanisms behind human memory and safety using biological science. The company’s efforts to standardize methods for safety and peace of mind, in collaboration with socially conscious customers, aim to create accessible systems that facilitate the sharing of safety information. Matsuda envisions a society where safety tools and methods are standardized and widely adopted. To achieve this, he is dedicated to building a consortium for safety, finding like-minded individuals who share his vision, and conducting educational activities to promote safety awareness.

Susumu Matsuda’s Inspiration and Aspiration

Susumu Matsuda draws inspiration from Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, whose achievements in creating designs that stimulate the senses, concepts that ignite desire, and brands that look to the future have left an indelible mark on the world. Matsuda admires Jobs’ ability to captivate and move people through his visionary approach. In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and safety, Susumu Matsuda and Santoku Corporation continue to push boundaries, merging technologies to create innovative solutions that prioritize human safety and peace of mind. With a steadfast commitment to societal advancement, Matsuda’s vision is poised to leave a lasting impact on the world.

Meet the leader behind the success of Santoku Corporation

Susumu Matsuda is the Executive Director of Santoku Corporation, renowned for his pioneering work in virtual reality (VR) and safety systems. Matsuda’s academic journey began with a focus on automatic feedback control theory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at university. He spent 13 years at an electronics manufacturer, where he delved into microcomputer architecture, excelling in hardware and firmware design, machine control development, and machine vision processing research and development.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Matsuda transitioned to the VR industry, starting an independent business. His dedication to robotics and support for universities through research services laid the foundation for his future endeavors. In 2005, he founded a VR program company in Tokyo, followed by the establishment of a 3D model production company in Ho Chi Minh City in 2009.

Matsuda proposed the RiMM concept in 2012, embarking on the development of its basic software and systems. He commercialized RiMM in 2014 and introduced a disaster experience VR in 2016. The business merged with Santoku Corporation in 2019. Since 2020, Matsuda has been exploring biological and life sciences to “touch humans’ hearts directly,” focusing on research for safety and peace of mind. He announced the “Cyclone Safety and Peace of Mind Development Philosophy” in 2020 and continues to advance the RiMM project globally.